Frame.



PATENTED DBC. 13, 1904.

F. N. COTTLB.

FRAME.

APPLIUATION FILED PEB. 7,1903.

N0 MODEL.

No. remove.

NiTEn STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

FREEMAN N. COTTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO COITLE, KENNA 8: COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COPARTNERSI-IIP.

FRAME..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 777,079, dated December 13, 1904.

.Application filed February 7, 1903. Serial No, 142,433. (No model.)

To @ZZ 7.0771077?, it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, FREEMAN N. CoTfrLn, a citizen oi' the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates an improved construction of frame for pictures, signs, looking-glasses, and the like andinvolving top and bottoni and side pieces which are made of sheet metal, the said pieces being lapped at the back of the frame and provided with miter or other suitable joints in front, and means, such as nails or picture-wire or other keys, being applied tothe lapping portions to hold the different pieces or sections of the frame together, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a frame embodying the principles ot' my invention. Fig. 2 is a back elevation ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing adi'fferent arrangement for holding the frame-pieces together. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the frame shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one corner ot' the trame as shown in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective of one corner of the frame as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a perspective oit' one end portion ot' the upper frame-piece shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspective oi" one of the side pieces shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a cross-seetion through one oi' the frame-pieces on line 9 9 in Fig. 1, showing a glass, picture, and backing in dotted lines.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the very simple and readily-assembled metallic frame A may be composed oi' top and bottom trame-picces a and c, together with two side pieces @zand a3. The top and bottom pieces can be duplicates, and the two side pieces can also be the same in all respects. In other words, in my improved construction it is only necessary to manufacture two kinds of frame pieces. Those of one kind will be provided at their ends with the openings or recess c", while those of the other kind will have their end's provided with hollow or loop-shaped lugs c5, which, it will be seen, are preferably portions oi' the sheet metal pressed out Jfrom the back of the frame-pieces. For example, the top and bottom frame or horizontal pieces c and a', as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are` provided at their ends with the said openings o1' recesses, while the vertical frame-pieces are provided with the said lugs. Each frame-piece, whether ot one iform or the other, is provided with the relatively narrow lfront iiange ai and also with the relatively wide back iiange (t7. It is on this relatively wide back Hange in both cases that the lugs and recesses are formed. I/Vhen assembled in place, the end portions ot the back iianges lap upon each other, thus causing the lugs to project through the re ccsses. The front flanges can be beveled at their ends, so as to provide the corners of the frame lwith miter-joints c. As a simple and efiective means for holding together the parts thus assembled small pins or wire nails a" can be inserted through the projecting loopshaped lugs c5, so as to key the parts tightly together. It will be readily understood that the position ot the irame is unimportant and that, if desired, the frame can be turned on its side. Furthermore, it will be readily understood that the shape or dimensions oiI the 'frame can be varied to suit requirements. In -fact, the iframe-pieces can be made oi" various lengths, so that a frame oifany size or shape can be instantly constructed without inconvenience.

In Figs. 3 and I the construction is the same as in Figs, 1 and 2, with the exception that a picture wire or chain am is employed in place oit' the pins or keys c", as in the previous case. This chain or wire can be threaded through the loop-shaped lugs, and with this provision and arrangement the frame can be taken apart without removing the wire or chain. In this way the trame is in readiness to be assembled about a picture, lookingglass, or the like, it being only necessary. to apply the frame-pieces to the edges of the picture or glass and to then draw the wire or chain taut, as shown in Fig. Ai.

In Fig. 9 the frame-piece is shown tightly applied to the edg'es or marginal portions of. a glass, picture, and backing'. The g'lass is ot' course just inside the flange/.115, the picture is next, and then the backing' comes next and is held in place by the i'lange a7. lt will be understood that any suitable or desired means can be employed for pressing the backing tightly against the picture and the back ot' the glass. rl`hus constructed it will bel seen that my invention consists ot' a frame adapted Jfor various uses-such, for example, as framing pictures, signs, looking-glasses, or other like articles. lt will also be observed that with a design such as illustrated the trame partakes of the nature of a passe-partout, and as such is designed to afford a means for quickly and conveniently mounting pictures, or passe-partouting them, as itis called. Thus considered my invention further contemplates a metallic passe-partout for pictures, &c. The framepieces can, however, it such is desirable, be ot' different design and of a character to cause the frame to resemble the ordinary pictureframe. Consequently do not limit myself to any particular form or design for the framepieces.

It will be seen that the nails and picturewire are both keys, the only difference being that in one case the keys are separated or disconnected, while in the other case the keys are all connected and in the torni oi' a wire or other fieXibleconneetion. By the term keys, as hereinafter employed in the claims, I mean, broadly, any forni of key, such as either a nail or wire, while in other claims l have specilied the wire or other flexible connection as a specilic form of key.

That I claim as my invention is" l. A frame comprising' upper 'and lower horizontal pieces, vertical side pieces, said pieces being formed with relatively narrow front flanges, and having' also relatively wide back flanges adapted to lap at their ends and fastening devices applied to said lapping portions to hold said frame-pieces together, said fastening' devices including' a flexible suspending member.

2. Ametallicframei'or pictures, signs,look ing-glasses, or the like, consisting of sheetmetal frame-pieces provided with front and back flanges, the back flanges being adapted to lap at their end portions, and the said lapping portions being provided with registering lugs and openings, and keys inserted through the said lugs.

3. A trame composed of sheet-'metal framepieces, each frame-piece being' provided with front and back flanges, the back lianges ot' two sheet-metal frame-pieces provided with front and back iiang'es, the rear flanges having lapping'end portions adapted to be fastened together and suitable fastening devices applied to said lapping portions and adapted to detachably hold said frame-pieces together, said fastening devices including a flexible suspending member.

A trame Jfor pictures, signs, lookingglasses, or the like, consisting of sheet-metal frame-pieces, each frame-piecehaving a relatively wide back flange and a relatively narrow front iiange, the said back flanges being lapped at the corners of the frame, the said front iianges providing each corner of the frame with a miter-joint in front, and means applied to the lapping portions of the back flanges for holding the iframe-pieces together.

6. A frame comprising a plurality of sheetmetal trame-pieces. each frame-piece having f'ront and back iianges, the end portions of the back iiang'es being lapped at the corners of the frame, some oi' the lapping portions of the back iianges being provided with openings, and the other lapping portions of the back iiang'es being provided with loop-shaped lugs adapted to project through said openings, and keys inserted through said loop-shaped lugs to hold the frame-pieces together.

7. A frame comprising a plurality of sheetmetal frame-pieces, each trame-piece having front and back flanges, the end portions of the back iianges being lapped at the corners of the trame, some of said lapping portions being provided with openings, the other lapping' portions being provided with lugs adapted to project through said openings, and a lie-Xible member for suspending the vframe and eX- tending' through said lugs to serve as keys for holding the frame-pieces together.

8. A frame com prising aplurality of framepieces, each frame-piece consisting' ot' a piece of sheet metal bent into such shape as to provide front and back iianges, the front flanges being' beveled at their ends to provide each corner of the frame with a miter-joint, the end portions et' the back flanges being lapped at each corner of the Jframe, some of the lapping portions ot' the back flanges being provided with openings, the other lapping portions of the back flanges being' provided with loop-shaped lugs pressed out from the framepieces and projecting through said openings, and keys inserted through said lugs to hold the frame-pieces together.

9. A frame composed of a number of hollow sections, the ends ot' the front wall or part ot' each section being cut otf on one ang'le and the ends of the rear wall or part of the same section being' cut off on a dierent angle, whereby portions ot' the rear Wall or part project beyond the Jfront wall at the ends of each section, said sections being arranged with the projecting' ends of the rear walls of adjacent sections overlapping each other, and means applied to the backs of said lapping portions for connecting said sections.

10. A frame composed ol a number of hollow sections, the front Wall or part of each section being cnt off in an oblique direction at one end and the corresponding end oi' the rear or back wall of the section being cut oil? on a different angle, the sections being assembled so that the ends of the rear or back parts of adjacent sections overlap, and means applied to the backs of said lapping portions for connecting said sections.

11. A frame consisting of a number of hollow sections, the front Wall or part of each 

